Within the Souls of Us All
by eaglenation
Summary: A two-shot about the cats settling in after the battle with the Dark Forest. How does Crowfeather feel? Will Lionblaze and Cinderheart's relationship work out? Only one way to find out! Guaranteed to bring tears to the eyes of any fan, my entry to Silent's Screams romance story contest :)
1. Chapter 1 - Crickets and Memories

**Welcome to my collection of shorts about what happened after the Dark Forest was destroyed. How do the warriors feel? Some of my OC's will also take part, but these are more or less characters from the Warriors novels, so I don't own them. Here is the first in the series.**

_**A Night of Crickets and Memories**_

Crowfeather didn't mind the silence of the night. He stared at the stars with patience, thinking of those who have passed on. The chirping of crickets filled his ears with a soft melody, letting him zone out from the world, if just for moments. He wished he could show this moment with Leafpool, but he could never again. He was proud of his kits, all of them; Lionblaze, Hollyleaf, Jayfeather, Breezepelt. He loved them all. Even those that had become stars like the ones in the night sky. A breeze whispered through the wind, and he shivered with its cold touch on his fur.

A breeze…..

Just like his hate-filled son. Breezepelt's mate had just kitted two days ago, a pair of beautiful kits. She'd named them Nightkit and Badgerkit. After Crowfeather's mate.  
Where was she now? He wondered. His Nightcloud. He'd never truly had feelings for her. He'd only wanted to forget his grief. But he loved their kit, Breezepelt, like he loved his and Leafpool's kits or maybe even more. But Breezepelt was so cruel towards his father….

Cruel….

But maybe he had been cruel to him to start with. Cruel to his only true son. Cruel to his only true mate. But he did love them. He was just afraid to show it. He knew his relationship with Leafpool was over. They should never have been together, in the eyes of StarClan. Nightcloud was his only true mate. He understood, suddenly, how wrong he's been, in thinking Nightcloud was just a shield from grief. No, he had loved her. And deep inside his wounded heart, Crowfeather still did.

Wounded…

Wounds heal, however. Crowfeather knew that. He knew that he could always start again. Maybe even mend his broken relationship with Breezepelt. He remembered the pride he's felt, gazing at his grand-children. He loved them, no matter how wounded of a family they came from. He could heal this. He could. Now he was sure of it.

Heal….

Fur brushed his shoulder as a black shape sat down beside him. Her eyes were full of tears as she glanced at him sideways. Nighcloud, beautiful in the night she was named after. For the first time in moons, Crowfeather understood why he had taken her as his mate. She was beautiful. As she rose to pad away, he caught her with his tail.  
"No. Wait, Nightcloud."  
Her startled gaze was enough to confirm what Crowfeather already knew. She really loved him, and thought it was hopeless. He would prove her otherwise.  
"The night is beautiful, is it not?" He whispered. She nodded tentatively, and a silent sob racked her body, and Crowfeather did not know whether it was sorrow or joy.

Joy….

"Just like you, Nightcloud." She gasped as he nuzzled her side gently.  
"You never really loved me!" She cried softly into the night. The crickets stopped chirping, as if listening to her melancholy voice.  
"I did. I do. Nightcloud, we have many wounds. But I can heal them, I promise."  
"No. You never loved me." She rose to leave, but Crowfeather pulled her down beside him with a purr and entwined his tail around hers. "Hear me out, Nightcloud."  
"You left us! Me and Breezepelt, our kit! And your grand-kits, I saw the disdain in your gaze. The games are over!" Nightcloud howled. Crowfeather hushed her but leaning in closer to her.  
"I was never the mate I should have been. I am sorry. Really and truly. But I always loved you, Nightcloud." His heart fluttered as a confirmation of his words, and Crowfeather understood he was not lying. He needed her. And he needed her to know.  
"I need you, Nightcloud." Slowly, her sobs died down as he leaned against her, breathing in her scent like there was no tomorrow. He had loved Leafpool at one time. But no more. It was time to move on from his younger days, and become a true warrior in the end.

Warrior…

So this is what it took. To become one again with his true love. As the stars twinkled on, the stones around Crowfeather's hear melted. He saw the world anew in the glow of the moon.  
"Forever, Nightcloud. I promise now. I really do love you. Above all things, ThunderClan, memories, the stars above….."  
And she answered back, moving into him slowly, tentatively. As if she expected to be rejected. But his heart knew, as he had always known somewhere deep down, that he would never reject her again. And the soft promise he made that day whispered away, as the crickets continued to chirp in the night.


	2. Chapter 2 - Cinder and Gold

**Welcome back to my collection of shorts about what happened after the Dark Forest! This story happens much later than the last one, maybe a year or more afterwards. You may be able to find the changes in the Clan in small hints in this short. Enjoy and review!**

_**Cinder and Gold**_  
_**  
**_Lionstar raied his head as Cinderheart padded into his den. She had an exited look in her eyes, almost giddy. He wondered what made her so happy.  
"What is it, Cinderheart?" He purred when she lay down beside him, laying her chin on his back.

"Guess what?"

"What?"

Cinderheart purred even louder as she licked his head. "Guess."

"Umm…" Lionstar glared at her with his sharp amber gaze, expecting more.

"Alright, alright. I'm pregnant!"

"What!?" Startled, Lionstar sat up. "Now!? In the middle of leaf-bare?"

Cinderheart's face fell. "I….I thought you'd be pleased."

Lionstar fluffed up his pelt and raged on. "I would be, if it weren't the hardest leaf-bare we've ever experienced!" He couldn't understand why now. "Do you understand the risk of this?!"

Cinderheart stood up and unsheathed her claws. "I don't really have control over this! It's partially your fault!"

"My fault?!" Lionstar spat with fury.

"You are the father, after all!" Cinderheart turned on him and stormed away, tears in her blue eyes. Lionstar stared after her, shocked. _Kits_. _In this…_  
He looked out of his den at the snow covered Clan. Everything was white, prey was scarce, and all the cats were cold. And he had to worry about _kits_. He had a whole Clan on his back, and now this…..why had Squirrelflight had to retire when she did? Making him leader when Bramblestar retired? It wasn't fair!

"Maybe I should go apologize." He muttered. "Kits." He knew he should be excited, but how? He was so worried about Cinderheart, much too worried to be excited. But, with a sigh, he knew he had reacted to harshly. She was his mate, and he should't act like that.  
He padded out of his den and into the snow, out into the forest where she had run. He caught sight of Molestrike. "Molestrike, did you see which way Cinderheart ran?" He called. The younger tom glanced at him, amused.

"Having a feud?"

"Shut up before I put you on apprentice duties."

"Thought so." The tom purred. "She went that way." He pointed his tail to the left, and Lionstar nodded his thanks and ran that way. He followed her tracks in the white snow, all the way to the lake. He saw her, sitting alone, grey against the white snow.

"Cinderheart."

"Leave me alone, Lion_blaze_." She hissed, not even glancing at him. "I care about what you have to say as much as you care about my kits." The venom in her voice made Lionstar recoil, but he wouldn't give her up. He'd already lost her once.

"I'm sorry, Cinderheart. I'm just so worried about you, and I can't lose you."

She glared at him coldly, then got up, ready to stalk away. "That's all you have to say? A bit late for that."

Lionstar bounded in front of her, his wide eyes pleading. "Please, Cinderheart, hear me out, okay?"

"You have nothing to say to me. Next time, maybe if I'm reborn, _again_, you can have another chance. But not this life. These kits….." She pointed to her belly. "They're my kits, not yours."

That struck Lionstar straight in the chest, and he crumpled to the ground. He looked up at his mate, and saw her gaze flicker, for just a moment. He knew she was just playing for now, but he stayed on the ground. "I love you, and I love your kits. I just love you so much I can't lose you, understand? I've lost so much…..Hollyleaf….Leafpool….please."

"Hmmm…..I could consider. But you have to promise that you'll love them over me."

"Can't promise that. I love nothing over you."

At this, Cinderheart purred and jumped on top of him, touching her nose to his. "Looks like I win."

"Oh yeah?" Lionstar flipped her over in a swift strike, and then he was on top of her, and she was laughing. "I win now."

She threw him off and batted at his ear, playful as a kit, or as if they were apprentices again. They tussled together, their feud over for the moment, and despite the hunder, the responsibility, Lionstar was happy.

*******************************

"What are you going to name them?" Lionstar asked, as he entered the nursery, giddy with excitement and yet full of worry. He was so relieved that everything went all right. Cinderheart looked at him happily, her eyes full of excitement.

"I'm….going to give you…..yeah." Jayfeather backed out of the nursery den awkwardly, and Lionstar chuckled.

"I don't know." Cinderheart glanced at the bundles at her feet. Two of them, a black she-cat and a golden she-cat, both tiny and wailing. Lionstar wondered how he would put up with these two little furballs. He thought for a moment.

"This one looks just like Hollyleaf when she was a kit." Lionstar purred. "Let's call her Hollykit, in memory of my sister."

"I like it. How about the golden one?"

"Echokit. After the echoes of the past that let our ancestors live on forever." Lionstar answered proudly.

"Beautiful. She looks just like you, too." Cinderheart licked her two newborn kits, then grinned. "I survived, Lionstar." She laughed. "And it's still leaf-bare."

"I guess I worry too much." Lionstar muttered, embarrassed.

"I think you do."

Echokit and Hollykit fell asleep as they spoke, unconscious of the loving world around them.


End file.
